Vault head



- AULT HEAD q Filed Feb. 18, 1928 5 HUR WHTHEY 3 WAQM al toznu Patented July 2, 1929.

UNITED STATES ARTHUR WA'I'HEY, OF LAKEWOOD, OHIO.

VAULT HEAD. 1'

Application filed February 18, 1828. Serial No. 255,400.

low, which shall include cover units hinged to the frame so as to permit safe positioning of the covers in their open position withoutprovision of extraneous means of holding them in an inclined position, and which head shall present a smooth and tight external surface when the covers are closed.

Another object of my invention is to provide hinge connection of the covers with the main frame which though fori'n'ing exceeding ly strong connection of the parts while the covers are raised to open posltlon or even to partly open position, shall make a readily detach able connection when the covers are closed. This has hitherto been diflicult ofaeconiplishinent in the same structure. Either, the hinge connection has not been sufliciently strong, as heretofore constructed, or the cover has been non-detachabie when closed.

Still another object of my invention lies in the arrangement of the hinge parts connecting the covers with the main frame of the vault, so that the hinge pintle shall be exposed only at the parts thereof that are directly engaged by the swinging elements. 1 This arrangement provides for holding the hinge parts in close contact at all times, so that liquids may not cover the exposed parts while the covers are open, and as a result permit freezing the same on the covered surfaces and making difiicult the closing of the covers,

With these and other objects in view my invention consists of certain features of construct-ion hereinafter described, recited in the appended claims an d illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein Figure 1 is a perspective view of a vault head of four sections two of which are open; parts being broken away 1 1 Figure 2 is an inverted plan view of a lnnge part of a cover member; 1 1 a Figure 3 is a detail sectional view of the same;

Figure lis a detail sectional vlew of the hinge structure of my improved vault head showlng the cover section raised in full lines, and closed in dotted lines, the plane of the section being transverse of the hinge pintle;

Figure 5 is a detail view of the hinge portion of a frame section, portion being in plan, and the remaining portion being broken away to show a horizontal section, and

Figure 6 is a detail, longitudinal section of the hook member, taken on the line 66 of Figure 2.

Since my vault head is intended as one of large capacity, I have divided its structure into detachable parts for the purpose of maklng transportation and installation of the same more easily accomplished, and still result in the final product being strong and durable. The main frame is designatedby the numeral 5 which is of general rectangular outline having its corners 3 bolted together so that the ends and sides of the frame are detachable. The assembled main framemay be formed of cast metalusually iron, intended to enclose the opening in a street or other pavement and provided with a cut-out inner edge or shelf 23 for receiving the cover thereon in its closed position. The structure is adapted to receive masonry, such as concrete or asphalt paving about its edges up to and even with the surface of the closedcover.

In a vault cover of such capacity, it is desirable to provide a plurality of iron covers 6 swinging on alined hinge pintles, though it may be desirable that certain of the covers shall slightly overlap the cover adjacent one side. In any case, the edges 24 of the end cover sections will tightly fit the cutout edge 23 of the frame. The structure of the two ends and one of the sides of the frame, is very much similar in. external appearance, but the back wall 7 embodying the hinge of the structure therein, will be somewhat-modified. The exterior out line of the wall 7 is somewhat irregular, it being provided with extended iron protuberances or posts 8 which, though integral with the main wall 7, are intended to provide exceedingly strong upper surfaces 26 upon which the rear edges of the covers may rest in their open and inclined position.

Theposts 8 serve the further purpose of providing hinge construction particularly suitable for protecting the hinge in both the open and closcdposition of the cover. The hinge wall 7 is made hollow by the provislon of an iiitegralinner wall 14 parallel therewith and forming a cavity 37 between these two walls. I The posts 8, however, are hollow hav ing inner parallel walls 38 integral with the walls 7 and 14 the entire structure being cast together. This results in the cavity 9 in each post having an upper opening to receive therein extending hooks 10 from the covers 6. This cavity 9 serves well the purpose of protecting the hinged structure, both from freezing liq- Quids that otherwise might flow into the cavity,

1, 4 and 5, serves to support the hinge end of the cover when in its lower position, as shown in the dotted line position in Fig. 4.

Each, cover 6. has a flat outer surface 4, ventilating openings 25 and handles 34 loosely secured in openings in the cover but provided with means on their inner ends to prevent detachment, though permitting lifting somewhat for the purpose of opening the cover. No protection is asked for this feature. The hinge extensions or hooks 10 of I the-covers extendout. beyond the edge of the 'tween the'walls 38 of the cavity 9. This recovers, have aflat upper surface 12, and have a thickness exactly. equal to the distance be- :sults in anniform upper surface of the surfaces 4, 12 and 26 when thecovers are closed.

1 Since these iron-cover sections are very heavy, provlslon 15 made for strengthening them by reinforce portions 18 on the lower surface 17 of the cover, the hook members 10 being formed of steel parts 40 for strength, and

. cast" in the reinforce portions 18, by having cross apertures 41 therethrough for-receiving .the grayiron 43' when molded, and thereby locking the hooks 10 integrally in the rein- ;force. The surface,12 of the steel hooks is exposed on a surface uniform with the iron surfaces 4 and 26, so that the steel surface can hardly be differentiated from the iron ofthe cover. This structure, however, provides a strong hinge connection between the steel: hooks 10 and the steel pintles 13, the whole being connected to the cover by the castin assemblage of the parts 40 in the parts 18. Thestructure of the steel hinge part 10 is of.greatimportance, and its great strength is enhanced by suitable curves and angles that the part 10 may be inserted in the cavity- 9 between the steel pintle 13 and the rear areshaped surface 28 of the rear wall, this insertion being made possible while the cover section is in horizontal position. It will be noted from the showing in Fig. 4 that, since the outer surface 27 of the hooked end corresponds to the curve 28 of the wall, there will be little movement of the cover toward or :from the steel pintle 13, while the cover is being opened or closed, as the curves 27 and 'in the main opening.

28 will direct the rocking action of the steel part 10 on the steel pintle.

Spaced from the steel hook 10 is the support extension 11 which is substantially parallel with the reinforce 18. This construction results in a notch 33 between the parts 10 and 11 which is occupied by the pintle. The inner surface of this notch is formed of coin cave surfaces 29 and 30 whose inner edges are spaced by a flat surface 32 which is substantially parallel with the external surface 12. On either side of the extension 10, the covers have a straight edge 31 which, when the covers are inclined as in Fig. 1, rest upon the surfaces of the posts 8, as at 26.

In this position, the covers are retained until they are forcibly closed by pressure applied against. their upper surfaces. Tt-

evident that the weight of the covers in their open position, rests wholly upon this edge 3]., and that the tendency to rock to a greater in clination is overcome by the pressure of the surfaces 30 and 32 exerted upwardly against the pintle. This pressure upon the surface 31 is not relieved until the cover is swung forward sufficiently to permit the surfaces 29 or 32 to rest upon the pintle. The edge 31, then no longer bears against the surface 26. This structure is very carefully planned to permit the raising of the covers 6 while in a horizontal position, directly upward, but prevent detachment of the cover while it is inclined as shown in full lines in Fig. 4. This struc ture further insures a tight fit of the hinge parts and of the frame and cover when the latter is closed.

I have shown in Fig. 1 certain cutting bars 19 which are rather slender but of suilicicnt strength to bear a force exerted against their edges as there shown, by large masses of snow and ice which are apt to be formed by street cleaning machines used on the streets of cities and towns, and which ordinarily cannot 1"I?-'lllv be disposed of, especially not hy forcing them into sewers. These blades 19 are nor-- mally hinged to pairs of lugs 20 borne by the inner surface of the cover as illustratwl. and the lower ends pivot-ed upon a ren'iovahlc pin 21 inserted in the lugs 22 on the inside 0 l the main frame. The pins 21 are removed when the covers are to be closed, then permitting the blades 19 to be suspended from the lugs 20 These blades 19 are not intended to bear the weight of the covers when they are inclined in the open position, but will serve to out such snow masses as are forced againstthem while all. or part of the covers are open. The mass will then fall into the opening in the frame, in short masses resulting from the division of the large mass by these blades. Usually the force exerted in driving the snow mass against the blades is sufficient to divide it, and addition a d pressure can easily be used from above if it is necessary. In any case, the blades will he sup- Ill] lllt) ported by the lugs 20 and 22, the final pressure being exerted on the main frame. 7

As many of the openings 25 are provided as are desirable for ventilation purposes, though the mass of iron 36 between theopenings of each pair serves well another purpose as will now be explained. Then it is desired to lift a cover plate 6 bodily upward from the frame, it is quite feasible to move a truck with i a suitable crane up to the vault with the crane the opening and closing of the covers. The

mounting of the pintles 13 in the upper portion of the cavity 9 serves this purpose well by permitting liquids from the street to flow down in this cavity and not formmasses of ice about the pintles. To further this result, openings 15 are provided in the wall 14 on a lower plane than the pintles, thus permitting liquid to flow from the cavities 9 inward and down in the opening in the center of the frame. The pressure of the open covers upon the edge 31 against the surfaces 26 tends to prevent flow of liquid into the open frame from the side 7 thereof, as shown in Fig. 1. In the closed posit-ion of Fig. 1, the edge 31 fits tightly the surface of the wall 7, and the surface 12 of the steel hook 10 fits closely the upper opening of the cavity 9. Thus the common surface of the cover plates and frame is uniform when closed, and the hinge is protected when the covers are open.

Operation.Assuming that the vault head is in sections and is about to be assembled over an opening, the end and side sections of the main frame are lowered in properposition about the opening to be covered, and the corners of the sections are then bolted at 3. Each cover plate 6 is then lowered into position upon the framewith the steel hooks 1O registering with the cavities 9 in the posts 8, and the edges 24 finally fitting the edges 28 of the frame. The cover plateswill then take the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 4, with the curve 29 resting against the steel pintles 13 and the support 11 resting upon the edge 16. In this position, the upper sur face of the entire edge is quite smooth, only the handles 34 appearing on the surface, and these may be sunk slightly in grooves.

When the covers are to be raised, the handles 34 may be raised and chains from the crane attached thereto, when the cover will be swung on the steel pintles 13 until the edge 31 will rest upon the surfaces 26. The suspended blades 19 which hitherto have been attached to the lugs 20 only are now secured to the lugs 22 by the pins21. The covers may remain in the inclined position when the blades are unattached, or the blades may be used in the disposal of snow masses as before explained. 'It is evident that the steel pintles 13 are exceedingly strong, and being cast in position in the walls 38 a relatively short length of the pintles is subject to violent strain. This mounting of the steel pintles fixedly in the cavity 9 is made feasible by reason of the possibility of disengaging the hook 1O therefrom, when it is desired. The relatively short pintles further assist their protection from accumulation of ice.

Although the covers may be so easily removed bodily from the frame, it will be apparent from Fig. 4, thatas the cover is raised on its hinge, the surface 30 of the hook descends and engages the pintle, while the outer surface 27 rocks in contact with the surface 28 of the wall, until the hook has securely engaged the pint-1e and the cover securelyheld in the inclined position. This is regarded as a remarkable solution of the oroblem of hin in Y lar 'e heav metal covers pose to limit this disclosure to a sectional cover, but contemplate using the same form of main frame incombination with a single cover, or any number of cover sections, as may be desired. 1

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new anddesire to secure by Letters Patent is a i 1. A vault head comprising a main frame having hollow hinge walls fori'ning a narrow chamber directed transverse of said frame, a hinge pintle secured in said chamber beneath the surface of the frame, a cover having a hinge projection atone edge for engaging said pintle, the said hinge projection having a flat upper surface to lie in the plane of the cover and providing a lower open space adjacent the projection permitting disengagementof the cover by upward lifting thereof when the cover is closed, but preventing disengagement While the cover is open.

2. A vault head comprising a main frame havin a lar e central oaenin and hollow hinge wall, a hinge pintle secured in the cavity in saidhinge wall, a cover having a downwardly directed hook at one edge in tegral with said cover for engaging said pintle, the said engaging hook having a flat upper surface in a plane substantially that of the upper surface of the cover and-a notch beneath the cover, permitting disengagement of the hook by upward lifting ofthe cover from the frame, and presenting a substanill) tially uniform flat surface covering the cavity about the pintle while applied to the frame.

3. A vault head comprising a main frame having a hollow hinge wall and narrow transverse and spaced openings partitioned from said openings having rear arc-shaped-shoulders upon which the hooks bear in their movement about the pintles to permit swinging of the cover to open the same.

4. A vault head comprising amain frame having a hollow hinge wall, reinforcing protuberant posts integral with the hinged wall and spaced fromeach other, cross partition wall sections dividing the cavity in said hinge wall into narrow chambers, hinge pintles positioned below the surface of the covers and connecting said sections, covers having means at one edge for engaging said pintles, and the backedge of said covers swinging in an arc about said pintles when the covers are raisedso that they rest on the upper surface of the said posts when, the covers are positioned at a slight inclination to the vertical. I 7

- 5. A vault head comprising a main frame having a hollow hinge wall and narrow transverse and spaced openings partitioned from the main cavity in said hinge wall,the upper partof said openingscommunicating with the central opening in the frame and the lower part communicating with the central frame opening through drain apertures, a cover plate having hinge projections at one edge fitting the transverse frame. openings, hinge pintles fixed at their ends in the walls of-said partitions, the said projections engaging the said pintles to permit swinging of the cover to open the same.

v6. A vault head comprising a main frame havinghollow hinge walls, a hinge pintle secured in said wall beneath the surface of the frame, a cover having means at one edge for engaging said'pintle, the said engaging means permitting opening the cover and resting its hinge edge upon the outer surface of the frame in its open position, and cutting means for snow masses connected both with the under surface of the open cover and with the inner surface of theopen frame directly opposite the cover. v

7. A Vault head comprising a main frame of rectangular outline, a hinge pintle parallel to one, of theframe edges and positioned beneaththe surfacethereof, a cover section accurately fitting the upper edges of the frame and having means at one edge for engaging said pintle, and the back edge of said cover swinging in an are about said pintle when the cover is raised, so that it rests on the upper surface of the frame when the cover is positioned at a slight inclination to the vertical.

8. A vault head comprising a main frame having hollow hinge walls, a hinge pintle secured in said wall beneath the surface of the frame, a cover having means at one edge for engaging said pintle and apertured lugs on its under surface, the said engaging means permitting opening the cover and resting its hinge edge upon the outer surface of the frame, apertured lugs upon the inner surface of the open frame opposite the lugs on the cover, and relatively thin elongated cutting bars connected at their ends with the said lugs on the cover and frame, respectively, by pins, the lower pins being removable.

9. A vault head comprising a main frame having a hollow hinge wall, reinforcing protuberant posts integral with the hinged wall and spaced from each other, cross partition wall sections dividing the cavity in said hinge wall into narrow chambers, hinge pintles positioned fixedly below the surface of the rovcrs and connecting said sections, covers having means extending from one edge of the covers for engaging said pintles, the back edge of said covers swinging in an are about said pintles when the covers are raised to rest upon the upper surfaces of said posts when the covers are positioned at a slight inclination to the vertical and fit tightly the adjacent surfaces of the posts when the covers are closed.

10. A vault head comprising a main frame of polygonal outline, a hinge pintle parallel to one of the frame edges and positioned be neath the surface thereof, a cover section accurately fitting the upper edges of the frame and having means at one edge for en gaging the pintle, said means comprising a steel hook element extending from the said frame edge and having one end thereof molded into' the iron mass of the cover section, and the back edge of the cover swinging in an arc about said pintle when. the cover is raised to position the cover at a slight inclination to the vertical.

11. In a vault head. having an open frame and a cover plate therefor, a steel hook element having an arm secured to the underside of the cover plate and the hook extended beyond the outline of the plate at one edge, the said hook having a flat upper surface uniformly continuous with the main upper surface of the cover and a notched. under sur-- face for detachably engaging a piutle of a hinge in the frame.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this eighteenth day of Januarlh 1928.

ARTHUR WATHEY.

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